attrition
Meanings
Plural: attritions
Noun
- erosion by friction
- the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
- sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
- a wearing down to weaken or destroy
- "a war of attrition"
- the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction
- Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
- The gradual reduction in a tangible or intangible resource due to causes that are passive and do not involve productive use of the resource.
- A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through injury, incapacitation, retirement, resignation, or death.
- The loss of participants during an experiment.
- Imperfect contrition or remorse.
- The wearing of teeth due to their grinding.
- The loss of a first or second language or a portion of that language.
Verb
- To grind or wear down through friction.
- To reduce the number of (jobs or workers) by not hiring new employees to fill positions that become vacant (often with out).
- To undergo a reduction in number.
Origin / Etymology
15th century, from Middle English attricion, attricioun, from Middle French attricion, attrition and its etymon, Latin attrītiō (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attrītus, past participle of atterō (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terō (“to rub”). By surface analysis, attrit + -ion.
Synonyms
abrasion, attrit, contriteness, contrition, corrasion, detrition, grinding, natural wastage
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 9
attrition is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordattrition is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
attrition is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary